3D Printed Microscope Slide Box

#lab

May 2, 2025

Looking for some place to store my increasing collection of microscope slides, I decided to design and 3D print a microscope slide box. I ended up making two variants, and eventually using only the second variant. Both variants had a capacity of 15 slides, which I deemed to be sufficient for one box, while also preserving filament.

I started by designing the first variant in Blender. After printing several small test boxes, the final box turned out pretty well. This variant was designed with a lower box holding the slides, and a thin upper lid to go on top.

Screenshot 2026-06-20 at 20.47.55 — 3D design of the box, viewed in Blender.

Eventually (around a year later, in mid-2025), I bought some new microscope slides, and these had different dimensions as compared with the ones variant one was based on. At this time, I had delved deeper into 3D printing, and had switched from mesh-based modelling in Blender to CAD-based modelling in FreeCAD. Hence, instead of merely updating the dimensions, I decided to redesign the box completely.

This time, I opted to replace the lid, and instead make the slide boxes stackable. Hence, the bottom of another box would be the lid of the one beneath. This design was more modular and compact, and enabled me to save quite some storage space.

Screenshot 2026-06-20 at 20.53.55 — 3D design of variant 2 in FreeCAD. The engraving on the box is its serial number: MB/MSB/2.15/002. This meant that the purpose was microbiological (MB), and that this was a microscope slide box (MSB). 2.15 meant that this was variant two, and that its capacity was 15 slides (this was in case I ever expanded the capacity of the box while keeping the design the same). 002 meant that this was the second such box I had manufactured (3D printed).

3D printed microscope slide box, variant two. Here, it is seen being used to dry to slides which have just had plant-tissue paraffin sections stuck to them. Details about the plant sample and paraffin sections can be found here.